Disturbing and pretty dang creepy! This is not a book for everyone!

This story was very interesting, told in 3rd person but still focused on two seperate point of views. I know this seems like it could be confusing but it is very easy to follow and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I’m a huge fan of 1st person point of view as I tend to read it faster and stay more focused on the book. This book being in 3rd person did not change my reading at all. I stayed invested in the story and read it quickly.

Early on in the book, I was not sure about it being a mystery/thriller; maybe a psychological thriller but even that is a stretch in my opinion. A story about a child who wishes to kill their mother is not a light suspense or thriller. It is quite the disturbing read with plenty of shock factor. I wonder why the publishers didn’t classify it as a horror story. It would fit much better in that genre.

While this was a very out of the box story with many shock factor moments, I couldn’t put it down. It was fast paced and kept my attention. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. However, I was let down by the way this story concluded. I wish there had been more closure to the story.

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

This book follows Hanna, a silent child who loves her daddy, her mother, Suzette, sick with Crohns, trying to homeschool a nonverbal child who continuously harasses her and her father, who is blind to all of Hanna's negative behaviors.

This book is categorized as a psychological thriller and I would 100% agree. This book was AWESOME; totally creepy and kept me turning the pages. I will admit, it took me awhile to get hooked with this book and I was totally not feeling it for awhile... but then it got me. I am all about the creepy, the not knowing, ahhh everything psychological thriller, I just love. There had better be a book number 2 coming, because this one ended in with a cliff-hanger, which killed me. Thank you to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.

Wow. I’m not sure how to express everything this book made me feel. Sadness, fear, anxiety and a hope for more. This can’t be the end. Will Hanna play the part of good girl well enough to come home to Suzette and Alex? Will they survive if she does?

This story is very creepy and definitely edge of your seat reading!! Suzette is Hanna's mom and Alex's wife. She was raised with an abusive mom who neglected to get her needed medical care which resulted in years of surgery & suffering. Alex is as supportive of Suzette as he can be but also is a doting father to Hanna. Hanna is a selective mute child who has a strong, somewhat disturbing attachment to her dad & has made it her mission to get rid of Suzette by any means necessary to have Alex all to herself. Her manipulation & aberrant behavior persist till the end. Probably best not to read before bed, especially if you are a parent. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The characters are all unlikable and the narration is very slow and so I could not feel any actual suspense. I read a lot of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, but this was a miss for me.

Wow, this book really kept me riveted from start to finish. What a fantastic story about a very dysfunctional family. Mom Suzette has health problems, father Alex is a workaholic who seems to cater to daughter Hanna's every whim which causes jealousy between Mom and Hanna. This jealousy leads to all sorts of devious acts by Hanna to try to do away with her mother. There are plenty of twists and turns in this very interesting book.

This novel is the heartwarming story of a mother-daughter bond unlike any other...

Just kidding. I originally requested this book because of the blurb in the PW announcement which compared it to THE BAD SEED:



While I'm a bit of wimp when it comes to horror and thriller as a genre, "bad children" stories have always been a bit of an interest. The original BAD SEED showed a young girl who terrorized classmates, killing one with a pair of tap shoes, all the while cuddling up to Daddy during bedtime stories. Only the mother suspected her bad behavior, which eventually drove her mad. BABY TEETH lives up to the comparison, but luckily takes its own path at this kind of story.

Stage's debut follows Suzette, mother to seven year old Hanna, as she struggles with the increasingly more disturbing behavior. Hanna shows one face to her mother and one to her father, and her choice to not speak makes education and home life very difficult-- meaning that Suzette is homeschooling Hanna as the novel opens and experiencing some troubling moments as her daughter not only begins to talk to her, but also talks about being possessed by a 17th century French witch.

I won't spoil anything here, but Stage builds the suspense well in this book, stacking complications on top of each other like Jenga blocks. I stayed up late more than one evening trying to get through a difficult section. You can almost feel the unsteady sanity of the household start to topple. One really interesting aspect of this book is the physical health of Suzette, whose history with Crohn's is a major component of her character (as well as making up some of background with her own mother.) 

The alternating perspectives of Hanna and Suzette can be jarring, but they are necessary. I found myself actually cringing while reading some of Hanna's sections, but Stage doesn't let the reader look away and keeps the voices separate enough to suspend disbelief. 

If you're looking for a creepy read, make sure you add it to your to-read stack.

Hannah loves her Daddy. But Mommy can be a handful. And Mommy is always getting in the way. So what to do about that? Baby Teeth is a strange, thrilling twist on the mother-daughter dynamic.

Hannah is seven years old and refuses to speak--there is no physical cause to her not vocalizing. She doesn't attend school because she cannot behave. Her mother Suzette is stuck at home with her all day long, as well as dealing with all the complications of her Crohn's Disease. And so Hannah, who desperately wants to spend time with her Daddy, comes up with a number of plans to get rid of Mommy for good.

Like any family, the reader gets multiple sides of the truth from the perspectives of both Hannah and Suzette, with Alex's perspective conveniently left out because he is the quintessential clueless father, wanting to be great at being a dad and a husband, but distancing himself from both just enough to not have to take any of the blame for what goes on when he's not there. When you think you are ready to sympathize with one, you start to question what you believe and begin believing in the motives of the other, even if it's just for a few pages.

If you are at all uncomfortable with creepy children, this book is not for you. But if you can get past the terrifying thoughts of Hannah, you can begin to unravel what may be the real cause of all this upheaval. Even at the end of the book, it's up to the reader as to what led this family that point--is Hannah simply suffering from a controllable mental illness? Is she a psychopath that cannot be treated or trusted? Is she really possessed by the ghost of a centuries-old witch, burned at the stake?

And then you have to consider Suzette--she presents herself as a mother who may not be perfect, but is trying her best to be as good of a mother as she can be to this little girl. However, her Crohn's is draining and at certain points debilitating. Her own mother had no affection for her after the death of her father, to the point where her physical health put her life at risk as a teen. She also at a point questions how good of an idea it was to have a child, knowing that it forever changed her relationship with her husband. And when Hannah's games get dangerous, Suzette uses every ounce of restraint to let Hannah believe she is playing her game and not scared by her.

If you treat Baby Teeth as a mystery to unravel rather than a horror story (which it seems like on the surface), it is a fascinating piece of fiction.

I absolutely loved this book! My first read from the author and definitely won’t be my last. I think I was expecting more of a thriller/adrenaline fuelled read, but whereas this was more steady-going, I still couldn’t put it down. I was instantly drawn in by the characters and loved the different points of view given between the chapters. Will definitely recommend!

This book was super creepy and definitely not for everyone. I would classify more towards psychological horror than suspense. Very well-written but the subject matter of a 7 year old who wants to kill her mother is highly disturbing. I found it hard to believe that a 7 year old could be that devious and evil especially when her interactions with other people were extremely limited. This is the story of Hanna, who has never spoken a word and wants to kill her mother so she can have her father all to herself. The story unfolds in the voices of her mother, Suzette and Hanna in alternating chapters. It is also hard to believe that her parents didn't do more about her lack of speech and that her father was so oblivious to her behavior and the way she treated her mother until the end of the book. I wouldn't recommend this to everyone but those who do read it won't be able to put it down.

I liked it! Baby Teeth is very creepy and unsettling. Kept my guts wrenching in anticipation of what was coming next. I liked the candid thoughts of all the characters and that the author isn't afraid to approach tough subject matter through many different viewpoints.

This book is creepy. Really, really creepy.

I’m a mother of a perfectly normal almost 7 yr old girl. I can not imagine the horror or trauma Suzette went through. I know how creeped out I get when I’m sleeping and I feel someone staring and my daughter is just standing there beside my bed with a weird smile on her face. So I just imagined that a million times magnified. Yea it still probably doesn’t do justice for what she went through. I know it doesn’t for what I felt when I read it.

We alternate POV’s between Suzette (the mother) and Hannah (her 7 yr old daughter). I loved that we were able to see what Hannah thought about her mom and her dad. How her feelings impacted her actions and consequences. The same for Suzette too. She’s not innocent in this and I sometimes wondered if she made Hannah the way she was.

I think what made it even more disturbing was being in the mind of a 7 yr old with ill intentions. It’s different and made for an interesting read. I tried to take breaks because it was so intense but I couldn’t. My mind kept wandering what was going to happen next. I was a junkie looking for my next fix.

I really don’t know how I felt about Suzette. I was torn between liking her at times and hating her. I felt compassion for her because I understood the ugliness of depression. What that can do to your mind and also the insecurities. That doesn’t excuse her behavior.

I was the same about Hannah. The mother side of me wanted to cry for her. To hug her and show her what it’s like to be a kid. Let her have a messy room if she wanted. The cautioned side of me wanted to lock her up. That side didn’t like her and knew that evil existed in a tiny little girl that may look innocent and sweet but is anything but.

Zoje Stage is an author to look out for. The research that was put into this book was remarkable. The writing was flawless and the storyline flowed with ease. The only thing I was disappointed in was the last portion of the book. The decisions and ending.

Baby Teeth is anything but a normal book about a normal family. It’s dark, disturbing, creepy and brings forth real issues that some families go through even to this day. It’s a highly addicting read!

A book of horrors. I was delighted all throughout the book, by the author's writing and the book's content. I love horror, and this was nothing short of what I was expecting, genre-wise especially.

Debut novel, Baby Teeth, by Zoje Stage is a disturbing study in family dynamics when faced with an unpredictable mental illness.

Suzette is a chronically ill mother doing her best to raise her mute, but brilliant, seven year old daughter Hanna. With the face of an angel, no one but Suzette realizes how disturbing Hanna’s behavior can truly become. Not even the schools she’s been expelled from, or even the other children she’s hurt. Especially not Hanna’s clueless father Alex, who explains away every incident Hanna has been responsible for.

But as Hanna’s calculated tricks get more treacherous and Suzette’s sanity slips day by day, will Alex finally realize there’s something seriously wrong with Hanna, before it’s too late?

What I really liked about this novel is how the author juggles all the emotions of every family member who is struggling in this bad situation. The reader slips in and out of sympathy for everyone involved, even as you fear that Hanna’s behavior will turn deadly before her parents will be able to find a diagnosis and treatment for Hanna. You slip in and out of fear, empathy, and anger at Suzette’s obvious frustration, missteps, and guilt. You long for her to assert herself more where her daughter and husband are concerned and also let go of guilt over a situation she has very little control over. You want to shake the rose colored glasses from Alex’s face, hoping he’ll see the problems sooner. And you long to hug and kiss Hanna until you realize just how profoundly messed up the child really is. The author was able to, despite everything, cause you to sympathize with Hanna’s point of view.

I was truly creeped out by the whole tale while at the same time rooting for a happy solution for everyone involved. The writing style of personal third-person points-of-view was very effective and lent a broader view of events than dueling first-person view points, that at times leave me feeling like I might be missing some aspect you can’t get when the story is only being told from one person’s standpoint. While not a fan of stories in this genre, I thought this was masterfully done, keeping the story both scary but very human and relatable.

This book was pretty bonkers. Sorry to use a cliche, but “as a mother” I found it incredibly unnerving. I raced through it; it was very easy to read, and compelling.

Not the type of book I usually read, but enjoyable. You can feel the furstration the mother has, and you can't wait for her to be vindicated.
Would read this author again

Wow, how do I begin to review Baby Teeth ?! I really don't even know where to begin. The story centers around the Jensen (pronounced Yensen), a family of artists living in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh. The hip Jensen family consists of architect Alex, former interior designer and now stay-at-home mother Suzette, and their 7 year old daughter Hanna. This nuclear family is not the American dream you may suspect when first meeting them. Hanna, although a lovingly sweet child, is mute and only shows her dynamic and loving personality with her father. Hanna is constantly battling with her mother while Alex is at work, leaving Hanna frustrated and vengeful towards her. While Alex is away, Hanna expresses a sincere hatred for her mother and will stop at nothing to prevent her from ruining the perfect life she sees with her father. Mommy is in the way and Hanna will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Well first things first ladies and gentlemen, Baby Teeth has successfully scared me away from pursuing parenthood for the time being. #ByeFelicia Like for real though, I'm scared of them now. Do I need to get garlic and silver crosses to protect myself now or what?! Seriously though, Baby Teeth is one dark, sinister, and deviously gripping story that not only focuses on family dynamics, but the ignorance being society's perception of mental illness. More and more books are starting to showcase mental illness and that's very important—especially in the family setting. I've seen people compare Baby Teeth to The Omen, but one reason why I will try to not compare the two is that this story does not contain a supernatural plot. This story highlights the family dynamic in such a contemporary, realistic way, that by comparing this to the typical horror genre just doesn't feel right. Baby Teeth is a story in it's own lane and should be treated as such.

I really enjoyed Zoje Stage's ability to show contrast between the points-of-view of Suzette and Hanna because they are vastly different, yet utterly relatable. Suzette's POV definitely is one of a loving, yet strong-willed mother who wants the best for her family, yet also wants to protect herself. Stage's ability to showcase a very intelligent, yet sickeningly wicked 7 year old's perspective is expertly highlighted here. The story is realistic—yet, scary as F! A solid debut novel and an original story derived from a common theme in the thriller/horror genre, Baby Teeth delivers. I'm excited to see what's next for Ms. Zoje Stage.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a dark book. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole read, often afraid to turn the page, afraid of what terrible thing might be about to happen. It's more that, though, that kept me hooked—it was the way the author skillfully twisted the reader's sympathies, and the tension in the complicated family dynamic. Definitely unsettling.

WOW! I did not know how this book would end. Was she possessed by a demon or does she have mental illness? So good and so different. You don’t usually read thrillers from mother and daughter prepective.

This book was one of the creepiest books I’ve ever read! It’s very well written with well drawn characters. Hanna is a seven year old who wants her mother dead so that she can have her father all to herself. Suzette has become afraid of her daughter and struggles with whether her parenting has somehow contributed to Hanna’s escalating violent behavior. The father, Alex, is pretty oblivious to his daughter’s attitude toward her mother and doesn’t really believe that she’s capable of the behavior described. I honestly had a hard time with the subject matter but kept reading because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. Did I enjoy the book? Not really! Did it hold my interest? Absolutely! Would I recommend the book? I’m not sure. It’s certainly not a book for the faint of heart. The subject matter is very disturbing and the book should probably come with a warning label.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!